David Ramiland Wes Goldberg here, the hosts of the daily Locked On Heat podcast, with your daily Locked On Heat newsletter. Each day we bring you the biggest stories about the Heat and the NBA, including the hottest links to other stories you need to read. Plus, Josh Lloyd delivers daily fantasy notes to crush your league.
Miami Heat’s Lineup Dilemma: Finding the Best Five
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) drives to the basket past Miami Heat forward Haywood Highsmith (24) in the first half at Target Center.|Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
In the latest episode of Locked on Heat, the hosts dive into the Miami Heat’s current season, discussing lineup challenges and potential strategies. Rohan Nadkarni from NBC News joins the show to provide insights on the Miami Heat’s season and the Eastern Conference. Here’s a breakdown of some of the points discussed on the episode:
- Lineup Discussion: The focus shifts to the Heat’s starting lineup, with the possibility that the team and head coach Erik Spoelstra should prioritize the importance of the closing lineup instead. Spoelstra has the tendency to experiment with lineups throughout the regular season, often finding effective combinations by accident during the playoffs. The challenge lies in identifying the best five players who can perform well in crucial game moments.
- Team Identity: The Heat’s lack of a clear on-court identity is discussed. Despite their reputation for “Heat culture,” the team struggles to define itself as a team that shoots well, prioritizes defense, or as a particularly athletic team. The hosts note the difficulty in balancing shooting and defense, as the team’s best shooters are often their weakest defenders.
- Best Five Players: Rohan suggests a lineup of Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez, Haywood Highsmith, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo as the best five players for closing games. The discussion includes the need for switchable perimeter defenders and the compromises involved in lineup choices.
- Challenges with Current Roster: The hosts discuss the Heat’s struggle to maintain a consistent lineup due to injuries and the need for specific player combinations around key players like Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.
- Tyler Herro’s Performance: Tyler Herro’s impressive season is highlighted, with his shooting performance being a bright spot for the team. The episode provides a comprehensive look at the Miami Heat’s current challenges and potential strategies, focusing on lineup decisions and player performances.
A refrain I’ve increasingly heard from casuals, like the talking heads on the NBA’s biggest broadcast partners, is that the league is too homogenous these days, that every team just goes out there and chucks up threes. Every game is the same.
Leaving aside the shortsightedness of famous, influential media analysts dumping on their own product, it’s a common enough complaint that I felt an urge to investigate. My eyeballs tell me the league’s never been more diverse and fun, thanks largely to the absurd wealth of stars today with skill sets as bespoke as their draft night suits. Jokic’s Nuggets look nothing like Tatum’s Celtics look nothing like Brunson’s Knicks, and to suggest otherwise is willful ignorance.
As I wrote about for Basketball Poetry yesterday, the current top five offenses are Boston, Cleveland, New York, the Lakers, and Dallas. Those five teams rank first, 14th, 17th, 24th, and 21st, respectively, in share of shots that are triples. You certainly don’t need to launch a million threes relative to your peers to score the basketball successfully.
Of course, that’s a rather superficial analysis. Regardless of rank, what if the absolute numbers are all getting closer together? That would represent a growing sameness.
I looked at shot data from this season, a decade ago, and 20 years ago to see how much the share of three-pointers had changed.
Mike Shearer (@bballispoetry) has written about the NBA full-time since 2021 at various and sundry places. For more from Mike, check out his Substack bestseller, Basketball Poetry, where he uses unnecessary metaphors and the occasional haiku to discuss the NBA’s happenings with an analytical lens.
Home and Away
Ranking Where does the trio of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro rank in the league’s “Big Threes?” Check out ESPN’s list.
Rumor The Miami Heat have the best odds of landing a one-time MVP next summer. Check out the potential move. (Sports Illustrated)
Stat Owen Phillips of The F5 looks at how often centers defend guards, how often perimeter players are involuntarily guarded by centers (aka the Tony Allen effect), and much more in his analytical newsletter.
Analysis Jared Dubin of Last Night, In Basketball discusses something related: what kind of players are guarding point guards these days?
Must Read Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic talks about the NBA’s increasing difficulty for defensive-minded, older players, but the real story is that Draymond Green claims to have started lifting just four years ago.
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
The Randomness Of Fantasy Basketball On A Wednesday In The NBA
Nov 20, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) drives to the basket as Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells (0) defends during the first half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images|Petre Thomas/Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Top Five Fantasy Takeaways from Wednesday’s Games
1. Paul George’s Knee Injury Concerns
Paul George’s knee hyperextension during the 76ers vs. Grizzlies game is a significant concern for fantasy managers. While initial reports suggest no structural damage, his availability in the coming games is uncertain. This situation could open up opportunities for other players on the 76ers to step up, making it crucial to monitor updates closely.
2. Unpredictable Pelicans vs. Cavaliers Game
The Pelicans vs. Cavaliers matchup was a bizarre affair, with unexpected lineups and performances. Elfrid Payton started for the Pelicans, and Jaylon Tyson shone for the Cavs, but these anomalies are unlikely to have long-term fantasy implications. Managers should view this game as an outlier and avoid making hasty roster changes based on these performances.
3. Pacers’ Struggles and Tyrese Haliburton’s Slump
The Pacers are facing challenges, particularly with Tyrese Haliburton’s shooting woes. His road performance has been notably poor, possibly due to lingering back issues. Despite this, Haliburton’s track record suggests a turnaround is likely, making him a prime buy-low candidate for managers willing to take a risk on his recovery.
Click the button below to see how Norman Powell’s injury could open up opportunities for the Clippers, and a top 50 player returns to action.
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Heat podcasts.
Miami Heat: Would You Trade Bam Adebayo for Joel Embiid? A fun episode today! Wes Goldberg and David Ramil play “Would you...?” And frame several scenarious about various trade ideas (including Bam Adebayo for Joel Embiid and Tyler Herro for an All-Star guard), Miami Heat role changes and big picture questions about how the Heat should build the team going forward.
How Miami Heat’s Road Trip Performance Shapes Their Season The Miami Heat’s recent 2-4 road trip performance raises questions about their contender status, especially with Jimmy Butler’s absence. Key players like Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro are stepping up, with Bam showing an offensive resurgence and Herro delivering clutch fourth-quarter heroics. However, rebounding issues persist and rotation debates continue. Wes Goldberg and David Ramil react to the Heat’s loss to the Indiana Pacers and ask if they are encouraged after a six-game trip.
Signs That Bam Adebayo & the Miami Heat Will Be Better It’s been a difficult start to the season for the Miami Heat and Bam Adebayo’s offensive struggles are front and center. With two road games coming up against the Indiana Pacers, fans are eager to know if and when Adebayo will bounce back. Join Wes Goldberg and David Ramil as they drill down into Bam’s advanced stats before moving on to some of the most troubling advanced stats impacting the Heat, Jimmy Butler and others.
